173 CASEY FITZGERALD
POSITION: Defense
SHOOTS: Left
TEAM: Boston College (NCAA)
BORN: February 25, 1997
VITALS: 5’-10” / 185 Lbs
STATS: 39 GP 4 G 23 A 27 PTS 46 PIM
Fitzgerald is a puck-moving defenseman who routinely makes the right pass, showing that he is a smart player. As a skater, he uses his feet well to move laterally and open up passing lanes for himself. He seems to be most comfortable when he picks the puck up in his own zone, and is able to make a quick pass up the ice to a waiting forward, rather than stickhandling it through the zones himself. In the offensive zone, he possesses a decent shot and skilled hands to control the puck, and is able to get into position easily to either shoot or snap quick passes to create scoring chances. Defensively, his game needs some work before he makes the jump to the NHL level. Fitzgerald is effective using his positioning and quick stick to keep opponents at bay. But even though he shows he is willing to get his nose dirty, laying down and blocking a shot or pass, and engaging in battles along the wall, he is too weak physically to compete against many NCAA forwards. In the corners and along the wall this past season, he routinely lost puck battles. He is not a physical player either and rarely attempts to make a check. However, strength is an area that can be worked on and he is doing so. He is an extremely smart player. Being in his second season as a draft-eligible player and after contributing as a decent puck-mover in his freshman season, there should be plenty of interest this time.
I would have liked this pick later in the draft but if they like him that much so be it.
Father: Tom Fitzgerald
Cousins: Jimmy Hayes, Kevin Hayes, Keith Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk
Geez.
looks like another pick invested in Vesey
Casey Fitzgerald, D – U.S. NTDP (USHL)
Call it a stereotype, but Fitzgerald has a certain scrappiness that makes sense for a 5-foot-11, 186-pound kid from New England.
“I pride myself on my defense,” he said. “I’m a smaller guy, but I try to play like I’m 6-foot-5. I also take pride in my first pass – make sure it’s hard and tape-to-tape.”
Fitzgerald has amazingly thorough hockey bloodlines. Father Tom is an ex-NHLer who now works in management with the Pittsburgh Penguins, while brother Ryan is a Boston Bruins pick at Boston College. NHLers Jimmy and Kevin Hayes plus retired star Keith Tkachuk and his son Matthew (Casey’s teammate this year) are also relatives. So advice is easy to come by.
“I have great resources,” Fitzgerald said. “Any change I get I ask them for tips, it’s been a lot easier with them on my side.”
Fitzgerald does pretty much everything quick on the ice, from his skating to his puckhandling. He’ll also step up quick and throw hits on bigger players, which gets back to that scrappy factor. Next year, he’ll join brother Ryan at Boston College, though living arrangements haven’t been discussed yet. Roomies?
“I don’t know his thoughts on that,” Fitzgerald said. “Probably mixed.”
But if Casey can help the Eagles the way Ryan has, the older bro might make some space…eventually. Draft eligible in 2015.
Does this make the price for Vesey is now two 3rds? Another connection:
"Fitzgerald is the son of former NHLer, Tom Fitzgerald who played over a 1,000 games in the NHL. Tom Fitzgerald and Sabres coach Dan Bylsma won a Stanley Cup together on the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins, and Bylsma has known Casey for most of his young life."
http://www.diebytheblade.com/2016/6...16-sabres-take-casey-fitzgerald-at-86-buffalo
Fitzgerald's hockey pedigree is no secret. He's the son of former NHLer and current New Jersey Devils Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald. His older brother, Ryan, is a junior and BC's leading scorer. His cousins are Kevin and Jimmy Hayes and Matt, Brady and Keith Tkachuk.
He committed to BC out of Malden Catholic, a perennial high school hockey powerhouse in Massachusetts. The North Reading, Mass. native left schoolboy hockey to head out to the U.S. NTDP where he struggled to find his groove and was buried on the depth chart of the talent-laden squad.
"Casey was a little under-recruited. He played for the NTDP. There were five or six defensemen statistically rated ahead of him, but we saw something in Casey when he played at Malden Catholic. We really thought he could be a special player," said BC coach Jerry York.
"'He's gone through the NTDP and he's learned some lessons. Now it's coming to fruition, what we thought we saw of him at Malden Catholic," York added.
Fitzgerald has always been known for his skating acumen, his ability to think the game and his impact on the transition, but some of that skill set had to be found again this season.
"He's a dynamic skater. He's a very intelligent player, hockey-wise. His competitive level is off the charts," said York.